A savage shark attack didn't stop Rodney dedicating his life to Great Whites
Being mauled by a great white was the catalyst for Rodney Fox becoming a shark cage diving pioneer, eventually leading him to work on Steven Spielberg's Jaws.
In 1963, a spear fishing championship at Aldinga Beach, south of Adelaide, nearly spelled tragedy for Mr Fox who narrowly escaped the jaws of the ocean creature with a mere 462 stitches.
"I thought, first of all, I'd been hit by a train," he said.
The now 84-year-old recalls being in 60-foot deep water and having his finger on the trigger of a rubber gun to catch a dusky morwong fish when "a huge thump and crash hit me in the chest".
In the tussle, Mr Fox gouged the shark's eyes, got his hand in its mouth and gave it a bear hug, but it was after the shark bit the fish float attached to his belt that its line broke and he got to safety on a dinghy.
"There was a saying in those days that 'the best shark is a dead shark'... but it wasn't exactly like [how] I felt," he said.
"I thought that I'm not very happy with the shark that bit me, but it was just doing what sharks do."
Read more in The Senior
Rather than anger and hatred filling his being, a fascination was stirred in Mr Fox who went on to host great white shark tours for decades and has helped organise expeditions for dozens of films, and travel as a guest speaker, author, and educator.
Other impressive life achievements (aside from surviving a shark attack) include pioneering shark cage diving, as well as involvement in the greatest shark movie of all time, Jaws.
After the shark attack, Mr Fox built a shark cage to protect himself while swimming with the creatures, made films about them and helped researchers with their work, when he got a call in 1973 from Universal Studios.
Spielberg's team wanted his expertise in finding and working with sharks to shoot live scenes for the famous film. The scenes Mr Fox was involved with were shot at Dangerous Reef, near Port Lincoln, one of the common places where great whites are found in Australia.
Mr Fox became the on-site filming coordinator, taking the director, assistant director and crew on his boat to spots where the sharks were, organising bait, and teaching the stuntman how to get into the half-size cage that was used in filming.
During production, a shark got caught in the top of the cage while it was empty, damaging its winch and the side of Mr Fox's boat as it struggled to get away.
Those events were caught on camera and upon seeing the footage, Spielberg changed the script where the character, Matt Hooper, who was meant to die, escaped instead.
The legacy of Jaws, plus another film Mr Fox had made at the time, helped prompt great white tours from a tourist angle, to the point it became a full-time business, operating around the waters off Port Lincoln.
Mr Fox has since gone on to be a speaker, written several books, helped produce dozens of movies, and was an abalone diver.
Today, the business has evolved, with his son Andrew and business partner Mark Tozer at the helm. They have a research foundation to learn more about the animals, plus a museum at Mile End, Adelaide.
Mr Fox says he takes things day-by-day and has built a family with wife Kay, their three children Lenore, Darren and Andrew, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
"The thing that gives me credibility is I've got the pictures that were so incredible [of] survival, that have left me without a trace of any problem or I've had a shark [bite] except scars and the memories," he said.
"I was returned to the sea... and I had made my living and without any trouble."
Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.
Being mauled by a great white was the catalyst for Rodney Fox becoming a shark cage diving pioneer, eventually leading him to work on Steven Spielberg's Jaws.
In 1963, a spear fishing championship at Aldinga Beach, south of Adelaide, nearly spelled tragedy for Mr Fox who narrowly escaped the jaws of the ocean creature with a mere 462 stitches.
"I thought, first of all, I'd been hit by a train," he said.
The now 84-year-old recalls being in 60-foot deep water and having his finger on the trigger of a rubber gun to catch a dusky morwong fish when "a huge thump and crash hit me in the chest".
In the tussle, Mr Fox gouged the shark's eyes, got his hand in its mouth and gave it a bear hug, but it was after the shark bit the fish float attached to his belt that its line broke and he got to safety on a dinghy.
"There was a saying in those days that 'the best shark is a dead shark'... but it wasn't exactly like [how] I felt," he said.
"I thought that I'm not very happy with the shark that bit me, but it was just doing what sharks do."
Read more in The Senior
Rather than anger and hatred filling his being, a fascination was stirred in Mr Fox who went on to host great white shark tours for decades and has helped organise expeditions for dozens of films, and travel as a guest speaker, author, and educator.
Other impressive life achievements (aside from surviving a shark attack) include pioneering shark cage diving, as well as involvement in the greatest shark movie of all time, Jaws.
After the shark attack, Mr Fox built a shark cage to protect himself while swimming with the creatures, made films about them and helped researchers with their work, when he got a call in 1973 from Universal Studios.
Spielberg's team wanted his expertise in finding and working with sharks to shoot live scenes for the famous film. The scenes Mr Fox was involved with were shot at Dangerous Reef, near Port Lincoln, one of the common places where great whites are found in Australia.
Mr Fox became the on-site filming coordinator, taking the director, assistant director and crew on his boat to spots where the sharks were, organising bait, and teaching the stuntman how to get into the half-size cage that was used in filming.
During production, a shark got caught in the top of the cage while it was empty, damaging its winch and the side of Mr Fox's boat as it struggled to get away.
Those events were caught on camera and upon seeing the footage, Spielberg changed the script where the character, Matt Hooper, who was meant to die, escaped instead.
The legacy of Jaws, plus another film Mr Fox had made at the time, helped prompt great white tours from a tourist angle, to the point it became a full-time business, operating around the waters off Port Lincoln.
Mr Fox has since gone on to be a speaker, written several books, helped produce dozens of movies, and was an abalone diver.
Today, the business has evolved, with his son Andrew and business partner Mark Tozer at the helm. They have a research foundation to learn more about the animals, plus a museum at Mile End, Adelaide.
Mr Fox says he takes things day-by-day and has built a family with wife Kay, their three children Lenore, Darren and Andrew, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
"The thing that gives me credibility is I've got the pictures that were so incredible [of] survival, that have left me without a trace of any problem or I've had a shark [bite] except scars and the memories," he said.
"I was returned to the sea... and I had made my living and without any trouble."
Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.
Being mauled by a great white was the catalyst for Rodney Fox becoming a shark cage diving pioneer, eventually leading him to work on Steven Spielberg's Jaws.
In 1963, a spear fishing championship at Aldinga Beach, south of Adelaide, nearly spelled tragedy for Mr Fox who narrowly escaped the jaws of the ocean creature with a mere 462 stitches.
"I thought, first of all, I'd been hit by a train," he said.
The now 84-year-old recalls being in 60-foot deep water and having his finger on the trigger of a rubber gun to catch a dusky morwong fish when "a huge thump and crash hit me in the chest".
In the tussle, Mr Fox gouged the shark's eyes, got his hand in its mouth and gave it a bear hug, but it was after the shark bit the fish float attached to his belt that its line broke and he got to safety on a dinghy.
"There was a saying in those days that 'the best shark is a dead shark'... but it wasn't exactly like [how] I felt," he said.
"I thought that I'm not very happy with the shark that bit me, but it was just doing what sharks do."
Read more in The Senior
Rather than anger and hatred filling his being, a fascination was stirred in Mr Fox who went on to host great white shark tours for decades and has helped organise expeditions for dozens of films, and travel as a guest speaker, author, and educator.
Other impressive life achievements (aside from surviving a shark attack) include pioneering shark cage diving, as well as involvement in the greatest shark movie of all time, Jaws.
After the shark attack, Mr Fox built a shark cage to protect himself while swimming with the creatures, made films about them and helped researchers with their work, when he got a call in 1973 from Universal Studios.
Spielberg's team wanted his expertise in finding and working with sharks to shoot live scenes for the famous film. The scenes Mr Fox was involved with were shot at Dangerous Reef, near Port Lincoln, one of the common places where great whites are found in Australia.
Mr Fox became the on-site filming coordinator, taking the director, assistant director and crew on his boat to spots where the sharks were, organising bait, and teaching the stuntman how to get into the half-size cage that was used in filming.
During production, a shark got caught in the top of the cage while it was empty, damaging its winch and the side of Mr Fox's boat as it struggled to get away.
Those events were caught on camera and upon seeing the footage, Spielberg changed the script where the character, Matt Hooper, who was meant to die, escaped instead.
The legacy of Jaws, plus another film Mr Fox had made at the time, helped prompt great white tours from a tourist angle, to the point it became a full-time business, operating around the waters off Port Lincoln.
Mr Fox has since gone on to be a speaker, written several books, helped produce dozens of movies, and was an abalone diver.
Today, the business has evolved, with his son Andrew and business partner Mark Tozer at the helm. They have a research foundation to learn more about the animals, plus a museum at Mile End, Adelaide.
Mr Fox says he takes things day-by-day and has built a family with wife Kay, their three children Lenore, Darren and Andrew, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
"The thing that gives me credibility is I've got the pictures that were so incredible [of] survival, that have left me without a trace of any problem or I've had a shark [bite] except scars and the memories," he said.
"I was returned to the sea... and I had made my living and without any trouble."
Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.
Being mauled by a great white was the catalyst for Rodney Fox becoming a shark cage diving pioneer, eventually leading him to work on Steven Spielberg's Jaws.
In 1963, a spear fishing championship at Aldinga Beach, south of Adelaide, nearly spelled tragedy for Mr Fox who narrowly escaped the jaws of the ocean creature with a mere 462 stitches.
"I thought, first of all, I'd been hit by a train," he said.
The now 84-year-old recalls being in 60-foot deep water and having his finger on the trigger of a rubber gun to catch a dusky morwong fish when "a huge thump and crash hit me in the chest".
In the tussle, Mr Fox gouged the shark's eyes, got his hand in its mouth and gave it a bear hug, but it was after the shark bit the fish float attached to his belt that its line broke and he got to safety on a dinghy.
"There was a saying in those days that 'the best shark is a dead shark'... but it wasn't exactly like [how] I felt," he said.
"I thought that I'm not very happy with the shark that bit me, but it was just doing what sharks do."
Read more in The Senior
Rather than anger and hatred filling his being, a fascination was stirred in Mr Fox who went on to host great white shark tours for decades and has helped organise expeditions for dozens of films, and travel as a guest speaker, author, and educator.
Other impressive life achievements (aside from surviving a shark attack) include pioneering shark cage diving, as well as involvement in the greatest shark movie of all time, Jaws.
After the shark attack, Mr Fox built a shark cage to protect himself while swimming with the creatures, made films about them and helped researchers with their work, when he got a call in 1973 from Universal Studios.
Spielberg's team wanted his expertise in finding and working with sharks to shoot live scenes for the famous film. The scenes Mr Fox was involved with were shot at Dangerous Reef, near Port Lincoln, one of the common places where great whites are found in Australia.
Mr Fox became the on-site filming coordinator, taking the director, assistant director and crew on his boat to spots where the sharks were, organising bait, and teaching the stuntman how to get into the half-size cage that was used in filming.
During production, a shark got caught in the top of the cage while it was empty, damaging its winch and the side of Mr Fox's boat as it struggled to get away.
Those events were caught on camera and upon seeing the footage, Spielberg changed the script where the character, Matt Hooper, who was meant to die, escaped instead.
The legacy of Jaws, plus another film Mr Fox had made at the time, helped prompt great white tours from a tourist angle, to the point it became a full-time business, operating around the waters off Port Lincoln.
Mr Fox has since gone on to be a speaker, written several books, helped produce dozens of movies, and was an abalone diver.
Today, the business has evolved, with his son Andrew and business partner Mark Tozer at the helm. They have a research foundation to learn more about the animals, plus a museum at Mile End, Adelaide.
Mr Fox says he takes things day-by-day and has built a family with wife Kay, their three children Lenore, Darren and Andrew, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
"The thing that gives me credibility is I've got the pictures that were so incredible [of] survival, that have left me without a trace of any problem or I've had a shark [bite] except scars and the memories," he said.
"I was returned to the sea... and I had made my living and without any trouble."
Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.
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The Advertiser
13 hours ago
- The Advertiser
A savage shark attack didn't stop Rodney dedicating his life to Great Whites
Being mauled by a great white was the catalyst for Rodney Fox becoming a shark cage diving pioneer, eventually leading him to work on Steven Spielberg's Jaws. In 1963, a spear fishing championship at Aldinga Beach, south of Adelaide, nearly spelled tragedy for Mr Fox who narrowly escaped the jaws of the ocean creature with a mere 462 stitches. "I thought, first of all, I'd been hit by a train," he said. The now 84-year-old recalls being in 60-foot deep water and having his finger on the trigger of a rubber gun to catch a dusky morwong fish when "a huge thump and crash hit me in the chest". In the tussle, Mr Fox gouged the shark's eyes, got his hand in its mouth and gave it a bear hug, but it was after the shark bit the fish float attached to his belt that its line broke and he got to safety on a dinghy. "There was a saying in those days that 'the best shark is a dead shark'... but it wasn't exactly like [how] I felt," he said. "I thought that I'm not very happy with the shark that bit me, but it was just doing what sharks do." Read more in The Senior Rather than anger and hatred filling his being, a fascination was stirred in Mr Fox who went on to host great white shark tours for decades and has helped organise expeditions for dozens of films, and travel as a guest speaker, author, and educator. Other impressive life achievements (aside from surviving a shark attack) include pioneering shark cage diving, as well as involvement in the greatest shark movie of all time, Jaws. After the shark attack, Mr Fox built a shark cage to protect himself while swimming with the creatures, made films about them and helped researchers with their work, when he got a call in 1973 from Universal Studios. Spielberg's team wanted his expertise in finding and working with sharks to shoot live scenes for the famous film. The scenes Mr Fox was involved with were shot at Dangerous Reef, near Port Lincoln, one of the common places where great whites are found in Australia. Mr Fox became the on-site filming coordinator, taking the director, assistant director and crew on his boat to spots where the sharks were, organising bait, and teaching the stuntman how to get into the half-size cage that was used in filming. During production, a shark got caught in the top of the cage while it was empty, damaging its winch and the side of Mr Fox's boat as it struggled to get away. Those events were caught on camera and upon seeing the footage, Spielberg changed the script where the character, Matt Hooper, who was meant to die, escaped instead. The legacy of Jaws, plus another film Mr Fox had made at the time, helped prompt great white tours from a tourist angle, to the point it became a full-time business, operating around the waters off Port Lincoln. Mr Fox has since gone on to be a speaker, written several books, helped produce dozens of movies, and was an abalone diver. Today, the business has evolved, with his son Andrew and business partner Mark Tozer at the helm. They have a research foundation to learn more about the animals, plus a museum at Mile End, Adelaide. Mr Fox says he takes things day-by-day and has built a family with wife Kay, their three children Lenore, Darren and Andrew, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. "The thing that gives me credibility is I've got the pictures that were so incredible [of] survival, that have left me without a trace of any problem or I've had a shark [bite] except scars and the memories," he said. "I was returned to the sea... and I had made my living and without any trouble." Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. Being mauled by a great white was the catalyst for Rodney Fox becoming a shark cage diving pioneer, eventually leading him to work on Steven Spielberg's Jaws. In 1963, a spear fishing championship at Aldinga Beach, south of Adelaide, nearly spelled tragedy for Mr Fox who narrowly escaped the jaws of the ocean creature with a mere 462 stitches. "I thought, first of all, I'd been hit by a train," he said. The now 84-year-old recalls being in 60-foot deep water and having his finger on the trigger of a rubber gun to catch a dusky morwong fish when "a huge thump and crash hit me in the chest". In the tussle, Mr Fox gouged the shark's eyes, got his hand in its mouth and gave it a bear hug, but it was after the shark bit the fish float attached to his belt that its line broke and he got to safety on a dinghy. "There was a saying in those days that 'the best shark is a dead shark'... but it wasn't exactly like [how] I felt," he said. "I thought that I'm not very happy with the shark that bit me, but it was just doing what sharks do." Read more in The Senior Rather than anger and hatred filling his being, a fascination was stirred in Mr Fox who went on to host great white shark tours for decades and has helped organise expeditions for dozens of films, and travel as a guest speaker, author, and educator. Other impressive life achievements (aside from surviving a shark attack) include pioneering shark cage diving, as well as involvement in the greatest shark movie of all time, Jaws. After the shark attack, Mr Fox built a shark cage to protect himself while swimming with the creatures, made films about them and helped researchers with their work, when he got a call in 1973 from Universal Studios. Spielberg's team wanted his expertise in finding and working with sharks to shoot live scenes for the famous film. The scenes Mr Fox was involved with were shot at Dangerous Reef, near Port Lincoln, one of the common places where great whites are found in Australia. Mr Fox became the on-site filming coordinator, taking the director, assistant director and crew on his boat to spots where the sharks were, organising bait, and teaching the stuntman how to get into the half-size cage that was used in filming. During production, a shark got caught in the top of the cage while it was empty, damaging its winch and the side of Mr Fox's boat as it struggled to get away. Those events were caught on camera and upon seeing the footage, Spielberg changed the script where the character, Matt Hooper, who was meant to die, escaped instead. The legacy of Jaws, plus another film Mr Fox had made at the time, helped prompt great white tours from a tourist angle, to the point it became a full-time business, operating around the waters off Port Lincoln. Mr Fox has since gone on to be a speaker, written several books, helped produce dozens of movies, and was an abalone diver. Today, the business has evolved, with his son Andrew and business partner Mark Tozer at the helm. They have a research foundation to learn more about the animals, plus a museum at Mile End, Adelaide. Mr Fox says he takes things day-by-day and has built a family with wife Kay, their three children Lenore, Darren and Andrew, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. "The thing that gives me credibility is I've got the pictures that were so incredible [of] survival, that have left me without a trace of any problem or I've had a shark [bite] except scars and the memories," he said. "I was returned to the sea... and I had made my living and without any trouble." Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. Being mauled by a great white was the catalyst for Rodney Fox becoming a shark cage diving pioneer, eventually leading him to work on Steven Spielberg's Jaws. In 1963, a spear fishing championship at Aldinga Beach, south of Adelaide, nearly spelled tragedy for Mr Fox who narrowly escaped the jaws of the ocean creature with a mere 462 stitches. "I thought, first of all, I'd been hit by a train," he said. The now 84-year-old recalls being in 60-foot deep water and having his finger on the trigger of a rubber gun to catch a dusky morwong fish when "a huge thump and crash hit me in the chest". In the tussle, Mr Fox gouged the shark's eyes, got his hand in its mouth and gave it a bear hug, but it was after the shark bit the fish float attached to his belt that its line broke and he got to safety on a dinghy. "There was a saying in those days that 'the best shark is a dead shark'... but it wasn't exactly like [how] I felt," he said. "I thought that I'm not very happy with the shark that bit me, but it was just doing what sharks do." Read more in The Senior Rather than anger and hatred filling his being, a fascination was stirred in Mr Fox who went on to host great white shark tours for decades and has helped organise expeditions for dozens of films, and travel as a guest speaker, author, and educator. Other impressive life achievements (aside from surviving a shark attack) include pioneering shark cage diving, as well as involvement in the greatest shark movie of all time, Jaws. After the shark attack, Mr Fox built a shark cage to protect himself while swimming with the creatures, made films about them and helped researchers with their work, when he got a call in 1973 from Universal Studios. Spielberg's team wanted his expertise in finding and working with sharks to shoot live scenes for the famous film. The scenes Mr Fox was involved with were shot at Dangerous Reef, near Port Lincoln, one of the common places where great whites are found in Australia. Mr Fox became the on-site filming coordinator, taking the director, assistant director and crew on his boat to spots where the sharks were, organising bait, and teaching the stuntman how to get into the half-size cage that was used in filming. During production, a shark got caught in the top of the cage while it was empty, damaging its winch and the side of Mr Fox's boat as it struggled to get away. Those events were caught on camera and upon seeing the footage, Spielberg changed the script where the character, Matt Hooper, who was meant to die, escaped instead. The legacy of Jaws, plus another film Mr Fox had made at the time, helped prompt great white tours from a tourist angle, to the point it became a full-time business, operating around the waters off Port Lincoln. Mr Fox has since gone on to be a speaker, written several books, helped produce dozens of movies, and was an abalone diver. Today, the business has evolved, with his son Andrew and business partner Mark Tozer at the helm. They have a research foundation to learn more about the animals, plus a museum at Mile End, Adelaide. Mr Fox says he takes things day-by-day and has built a family with wife Kay, their three children Lenore, Darren and Andrew, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. "The thing that gives me credibility is I've got the pictures that were so incredible [of] survival, that have left me without a trace of any problem or I've had a shark [bite] except scars and the memories," he said. "I was returned to the sea... and I had made my living and without any trouble." Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. Being mauled by a great white was the catalyst for Rodney Fox becoming a shark cage diving pioneer, eventually leading him to work on Steven Spielberg's Jaws. In 1963, a spear fishing championship at Aldinga Beach, south of Adelaide, nearly spelled tragedy for Mr Fox who narrowly escaped the jaws of the ocean creature with a mere 462 stitches. "I thought, first of all, I'd been hit by a train," he said. The now 84-year-old recalls being in 60-foot deep water and having his finger on the trigger of a rubber gun to catch a dusky morwong fish when "a huge thump and crash hit me in the chest". In the tussle, Mr Fox gouged the shark's eyes, got his hand in its mouth and gave it a bear hug, but it was after the shark bit the fish float attached to his belt that its line broke and he got to safety on a dinghy. "There was a saying in those days that 'the best shark is a dead shark'... but it wasn't exactly like [how] I felt," he said. "I thought that I'm not very happy with the shark that bit me, but it was just doing what sharks do." Read more in The Senior Rather than anger and hatred filling his being, a fascination was stirred in Mr Fox who went on to host great white shark tours for decades and has helped organise expeditions for dozens of films, and travel as a guest speaker, author, and educator. Other impressive life achievements (aside from surviving a shark attack) include pioneering shark cage diving, as well as involvement in the greatest shark movie of all time, Jaws. After the shark attack, Mr Fox built a shark cage to protect himself while swimming with the creatures, made films about them and helped researchers with their work, when he got a call in 1973 from Universal Studios. Spielberg's team wanted his expertise in finding and working with sharks to shoot live scenes for the famous film. The scenes Mr Fox was involved with were shot at Dangerous Reef, near Port Lincoln, one of the common places where great whites are found in Australia. Mr Fox became the on-site filming coordinator, taking the director, assistant director and crew on his boat to spots where the sharks were, organising bait, and teaching the stuntman how to get into the half-size cage that was used in filming. During production, a shark got caught in the top of the cage while it was empty, damaging its winch and the side of Mr Fox's boat as it struggled to get away. Those events were caught on camera and upon seeing the footage, Spielberg changed the script where the character, Matt Hooper, who was meant to die, escaped instead. The legacy of Jaws, plus another film Mr Fox had made at the time, helped prompt great white tours from a tourist angle, to the point it became a full-time business, operating around the waters off Port Lincoln. Mr Fox has since gone on to be a speaker, written several books, helped produce dozens of movies, and was an abalone diver. Today, the business has evolved, with his son Andrew and business partner Mark Tozer at the helm. They have a research foundation to learn more about the animals, plus a museum at Mile End, Adelaide. Mr Fox says he takes things day-by-day and has built a family with wife Kay, their three children Lenore, Darren and Andrew, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. "The thing that gives me credibility is I've got the pictures that were so incredible [of] survival, that have left me without a trace of any problem or I've had a shark [bite] except scars and the memories," he said. "I was returned to the sea... and I had made my living and without any trouble." Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.
ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
Jaws 50 years on, the Australian filmmakers involved in the movie reflect on its legacy
If the biggest shock of Rodney Fox's life was nearly being killed by a shark off the coast of Adelaide, the next biggest might have been the lasting, lifelong impact of helping Steven Spielberg make a film about a killer great white. Now in his 80s, Mr Fox's lifetime of aiding great white shark research as a pioneering underwater filmmaker could be seen as being at odds with the legacy of Jaws. The Port Lincoln filmmaker was responsible for shooting the underwater sequences for the 1975 movie, which, according to many critics, demonised sharks and stoked fears around the world of swimming in the ocean. "They didn't know what they were getting involved in or about the rest of the script until after the movie was finished, and John Williams' music was applied," Mr Fox's son Andrew Fox said. "They knew it was a high budget film … different to a documentary. But they didn't realise how fictitious and horror-evoking it would all be." Along with Mr Fox, fellow underwater film pioneers Ron and Valerie Taylor were recruited by Spielberg to shoot scenes showing real sharks at Danger Reefs, off the coast of South Australia's Eyre Peninsula. The movie would not only change attitudes towards sharks, but shape Port Lincoln, turning a fishing town into a global tourism destination for divers and thrillseekers after Mr Fox capitalised on global interest and began running shark cage tours the year after. Swimming teacher Cherie Duncan still remembers the fear that coursed through the Eyre Peninsula community after the film's release. "I had so many children who were reluctant to go into the water after seeing or hearing about the movie, and their parents were similar," she said. "It continued to create fear for many years." The film's extraordinarily unrealistic portrayal of great whites did untold damage when it came to shark management in Australia and around the world, according to social scientist Christopher Pepin-Neff. So much so, it prompted the University of Sydney associate professor to coin the term, "The Jaws Effect". "The Jaws Effect is when you use a reference from a movie to explain a real-life event," Dr Pepin-Neff said. "It looks at the role of Jaws in creating an idea that this is shark behaviour, so this is how you need to deal with it … sharks are out to get us, and the only response is to kill the shark. "After the movie came out … sharks were all lumped together — not 500 different species but one dangerous thing. It meant policies were changed in fisheries that essentially made sharks a 'waste fish'. "The price of shark jaws went way up … there were hunting derbies. Andrew Fox believes the movie may have inadvertently helped the cause of great whites in the long run by changing "the way we think about sharks for the better". "There was an incredible amount of interest generated in sharks worldwide that inspired a whole generation of marine biologists and conservationists to appreciate great whites, in particular, and that attention flowed to other shark species," he said. In 1999, the federal government declared the great white vulnerable to extinction, which led to their protection in Australian waters. In more recent years, Italian shark researcher Alessandro De Maddalena believes the internet and social media play a role in public misperceptions about shark numbers and attacks. "Now we have people posting photos and videos … about sharks and shark attacks all the time," he said. "From this, people get the impression there are more. "But we have seen less and less great whites over the years since 2014 when I started to visit the Eyre Peninsula. "The average and maximum size we observed has decreased, which is typically something that you can observe when the population of a species decreases." According to a Flinders University study from October 2024, genomic research estimated Australia's great white population could be as low as 250. Calypso Star Charters is one of only two shark cage dive companies in Australia, and has been recording shark numbers on their tours at the Neptune Islands, near Port Lincoln, since 2011. From 2011 to 2014 — the first four years the company recorded statistics — there were more than 1,100 sightings per year, at an average of 105 per month. Last year, the company recorded just 222 sharks for the entire year. It has been a much better start to 2025, with 169 so far this year. Andrew Wright, who is the co-owner of Calypso Star Charters, is not concerned about the overall population and points toward a wide number of factors that could potentially be influencing shark behaviour. "I don't think there is a link between our numbers and the overall population," he said. "It could be a current that's running differently, it might be the burgeoning snapper population in the gulf, it might be related to tuna, it could be the major marine upwelling that's happened. "It's like, 'Why hasn't it rained the past 12 months?' There are a lot of things we just don't know." Like Port Lincoln's Rodney Fox, fellow underwater filmmakers Ron and Valerie Taylor had come to Spielberg's attention following their own work on other high-budget shark films. "We worked on a lot of films, but I never dreamt, neither did Ron, that it would be such a success," Ms Taylor said. Ms Taylor has spent a lifetime dedicated to marine conservation and, 50 years on from Jaws, is still buoyed by the positive impact the film had on many aspiring shark and ocean lovers. "It's much better than it used to be. It's amazing how interested young people, teenagers, are in the conservation of the ocean. Whereas in my day, all anyone wanted to do was kill," she said. "The ocean is the mother of all life on Earth. If it dies, we die. Simple."
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- The Advertiser
A fine vintage: Nine of the most influential stars born in 1958
They've lit up our screens and stereos during times when music was bought on vinyl and films were rented at a video store. Several stars who have shaped popular culture were born in 1958, including Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince and Jamie Lee Curtis. What was it about that particular year that brought so much talent? We've selected nine who have left an impact, but know there are many more. If there's anyone from that year who you think deserves a mention, drop their name in the comments below. Read more in The Senior The filmmaker and producer has produced several films that have made us laugh, wince and be in suspense. He came to prominence with Beetlejuice (1988) and Edward Scissorhands (1990) and captured our imaginations with Mars Attacks! (1996) and Planet of the Apes (2001), among others. Musicals also took a twist in his productions of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007). More recently, he's directed several episodes of the Netflix series Wednesday and directed Beetlejuice Beetlejuice in 2024. Showing that girls can rock, Carlisle co-founded The Go-Gos, who had hits including Our Lips Are Sealed, and then went on to have a successful solo career with hits including Heaven Is a Place on Earth, I Get Weak, Leave a Light On and Summer Rain. She toured Australia in 2024 and is preparing to release her new album Once Upon a Time in California this year. The American actor and film producer has moved us for decades in a plethora of movies and TV shows. His long list of credits includes Beetlejuice (1988), The Cooler (2003), Along Came Polly (2004) and two Mission: Impossible Films, plus a highly successful run on the series 30 Rock. Today he's starring in The Baldwins, a behind-the-scenes TV show of his family's life with wife Hilaria and their seven children, which can be streamed on Binge. Author, actor and producer Jamie Lee Curtis has proven her versatility as a performer, skipping across genres from horror to comedy and more. She's scared us out of our wits in films including Halloween (1978) and Blue Steel (1990). On the funnier side, she made us laugh in A Fish Called Wanda (1988) and won a Golden Globe for Best Actress for portraying Helen Tasker in the comedy action film True Lies (1994). Today, she's gearing up for a sequel to Freaky Friday, which she starred in alongside Lindsay Lohan in 2003. Freakier Friday will be released in Australian cinemas on August 7, 2025. The King of Pop charmed us as a talented kid as part of the Jackson 5, before becoming a successful artist in his own right. Among his hit albums were Off The Wall, Thriller, Bad and Dangerous, and his infamous moonwalk during a performance of Billie Jean became legendary. His music took a socially conscious turn in the 1990s with songs including Black or White and Earth Song in the 1990s. Passing in 2009, his memory lives on with MJ The Musical, which centres around the making of his 1992 Dangerous World Tour. It's showing at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in August and will move to Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne in September. The Material Girl has had us vogueing, wearing numerous bracelets and dancing since 1983 when her first big hit, Holiday, broke into the charts. Among her biggest albums have been Like a Virgin, Like a Prayer, Ray of Light and Confessions on a Dancefloor, plus she's starred in movies including A League of Their Own (1992) and Desperately Seeking Susan (1985). She completed The Celebration Tour last year and will release Veronica Electronica, a remix album of songs from her 1998 record Ray of Light, on July 25. Pfeiffer has had a stellar career with roles including Elvira Hancock in Scarface (1983), starring alongside Al Pacino, plus playing Catwoman in Batman Returns (1992) and LouAnne Johnson in Dangerous Minds (1995). While she's taken career breaks over the years, she's kept in the public eye, with roles including Janet van Dyne in Marvel's Ant-Man (2015) and its sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018). More recently, she has been announced to star alongside Nicole Kidman in the upcoming Apple TV+ series Margot's Got Money Troubles. Her hands and footprints were memorialised in cement at the TCL Chinese Theatre on April 25 in honour of her work. The skilled musician kept us hooked with his incredible songwriting skills, androgynous looks and unmistakable falsetto. The prolific musician produced 39 albums and delivered anthems including Purple Rain, Little Red Corvette and Raspberry Beret, to name a few. He famously changed his stage name to a symbol in the 1990s. Passing in 2016, you can visit his estate, Paisley Park, just out of Minneapolis and walk through where he recorded some of his music, plus see selected instruments, awards and clothes. Sweetie, darling, the comedian Jennifer Saunders has made us laugh with a slew of shows and films. She was one half of the sketch show French and Saunders alongside Dawn French, and kept us giggling as Edina Monsoon in the hit series Absolutely Fabulous, which spawned a feature film. She'll be making a guest appearance on the upcoming Netflix series Too Much. Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. They've lit up our screens and stereos during times when music was bought on vinyl and films were rented at a video store. Several stars who have shaped popular culture were born in 1958, including Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince and Jamie Lee Curtis. What was it about that particular year that brought so much talent? We've selected nine who have left an impact, but know there are many more. If there's anyone from that year who you think deserves a mention, drop their name in the comments below. Read more in The Senior The filmmaker and producer has produced several films that have made us laugh, wince and be in suspense. He came to prominence with Beetlejuice (1988) and Edward Scissorhands (1990) and captured our imaginations with Mars Attacks! (1996) and Planet of the Apes (2001), among others. Musicals also took a twist in his productions of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007). More recently, he's directed several episodes of the Netflix series Wednesday and directed Beetlejuice Beetlejuice in 2024. Showing that girls can rock, Carlisle co-founded The Go-Gos, who had hits including Our Lips Are Sealed, and then went on to have a successful solo career with hits including Heaven Is a Place on Earth, I Get Weak, Leave a Light On and Summer Rain. She toured Australia in 2024 and is preparing to release her new album Once Upon a Time in California this year. The American actor and film producer has moved us for decades in a plethora of movies and TV shows. His long list of credits includes Beetlejuice (1988), The Cooler (2003), Along Came Polly (2004) and two Mission: Impossible Films, plus a highly successful run on the series 30 Rock. Today he's starring in The Baldwins, a behind-the-scenes TV show of his family's life with wife Hilaria and their seven children, which can be streamed on Binge. Author, actor and producer Jamie Lee Curtis has proven her versatility as a performer, skipping across genres from horror to comedy and more. She's scared us out of our wits in films including Halloween (1978) and Blue Steel (1990). On the funnier side, she made us laugh in A Fish Called Wanda (1988) and won a Golden Globe for Best Actress for portraying Helen Tasker in the comedy action film True Lies (1994). Today, she's gearing up for a sequel to Freaky Friday, which she starred in alongside Lindsay Lohan in 2003. Freakier Friday will be released in Australian cinemas on August 7, 2025. The King of Pop charmed us as a talented kid as part of the Jackson 5, before becoming a successful artist in his own right. Among his hit albums were Off The Wall, Thriller, Bad and Dangerous, and his infamous moonwalk during a performance of Billie Jean became legendary. His music took a socially conscious turn in the 1990s with songs including Black or White and Earth Song in the 1990s. Passing in 2009, his memory lives on with MJ The Musical, which centres around the making of his 1992 Dangerous World Tour. It's showing at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in August and will move to Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne in September. The Material Girl has had us vogueing, wearing numerous bracelets and dancing since 1983 when her first big hit, Holiday, broke into the charts. Among her biggest albums have been Like a Virgin, Like a Prayer, Ray of Light and Confessions on a Dancefloor, plus she's starred in movies including A League of Their Own (1992) and Desperately Seeking Susan (1985). She completed The Celebration Tour last year and will release Veronica Electronica, a remix album of songs from her 1998 record Ray of Light, on July 25. Pfeiffer has had a stellar career with roles including Elvira Hancock in Scarface (1983), starring alongside Al Pacino, plus playing Catwoman in Batman Returns (1992) and LouAnne Johnson in Dangerous Minds (1995). While she's taken career breaks over the years, she's kept in the public eye, with roles including Janet van Dyne in Marvel's Ant-Man (2015) and its sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018). More recently, she has been announced to star alongside Nicole Kidman in the upcoming Apple TV+ series Margot's Got Money Troubles. Her hands and footprints were memorialised in cement at the TCL Chinese Theatre on April 25 in honour of her work. The skilled musician kept us hooked with his incredible songwriting skills, androgynous looks and unmistakable falsetto. The prolific musician produced 39 albums and delivered anthems including Purple Rain, Little Red Corvette and Raspberry Beret, to name a few. He famously changed his stage name to a symbol in the 1990s. Passing in 2016, you can visit his estate, Paisley Park, just out of Minneapolis and walk through where he recorded some of his music, plus see selected instruments, awards and clothes. Sweetie, darling, the comedian Jennifer Saunders has made us laugh with a slew of shows and films. She was one half of the sketch show French and Saunders alongside Dawn French, and kept us giggling as Edina Monsoon in the hit series Absolutely Fabulous, which spawned a feature film. She'll be making a guest appearance on the upcoming Netflix series Too Much. Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. They've lit up our screens and stereos during times when music was bought on vinyl and films were rented at a video store. Several stars who have shaped popular culture were born in 1958, including Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince and Jamie Lee Curtis. What was it about that particular year that brought so much talent? We've selected nine who have left an impact, but know there are many more. If there's anyone from that year who you think deserves a mention, drop their name in the comments below. Read more in The Senior The filmmaker and producer has produced several films that have made us laugh, wince and be in suspense. He came to prominence with Beetlejuice (1988) and Edward Scissorhands (1990) and captured our imaginations with Mars Attacks! (1996) and Planet of the Apes (2001), among others. Musicals also took a twist in his productions of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007). More recently, he's directed several episodes of the Netflix series Wednesday and directed Beetlejuice Beetlejuice in 2024. Showing that girls can rock, Carlisle co-founded The Go-Gos, who had hits including Our Lips Are Sealed, and then went on to have a successful solo career with hits including Heaven Is a Place on Earth, I Get Weak, Leave a Light On and Summer Rain. She toured Australia in 2024 and is preparing to release her new album Once Upon a Time in California this year. The American actor and film producer has moved us for decades in a plethora of movies and TV shows. His long list of credits includes Beetlejuice (1988), The Cooler (2003), Along Came Polly (2004) and two Mission: Impossible Films, plus a highly successful run on the series 30 Rock. Today he's starring in The Baldwins, a behind-the-scenes TV show of his family's life with wife Hilaria and their seven children, which can be streamed on Binge. Author, actor and producer Jamie Lee Curtis has proven her versatility as a performer, skipping across genres from horror to comedy and more. She's scared us out of our wits in films including Halloween (1978) and Blue Steel (1990). On the funnier side, she made us laugh in A Fish Called Wanda (1988) and won a Golden Globe for Best Actress for portraying Helen Tasker in the comedy action film True Lies (1994). Today, she's gearing up for a sequel to Freaky Friday, which she starred in alongside Lindsay Lohan in 2003. Freakier Friday will be released in Australian cinemas on August 7, 2025. The King of Pop charmed us as a talented kid as part of the Jackson 5, before becoming a successful artist in his own right. Among his hit albums were Off The Wall, Thriller, Bad and Dangerous, and his infamous moonwalk during a performance of Billie Jean became legendary. His music took a socially conscious turn in the 1990s with songs including Black or White and Earth Song in the 1990s. Passing in 2009, his memory lives on with MJ The Musical, which centres around the making of his 1992 Dangerous World Tour. It's showing at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in August and will move to Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne in September. The Material Girl has had us vogueing, wearing numerous bracelets and dancing since 1983 when her first big hit, Holiday, broke into the charts. Among her biggest albums have been Like a Virgin, Like a Prayer, Ray of Light and Confessions on a Dancefloor, plus she's starred in movies including A League of Their Own (1992) and Desperately Seeking Susan (1985). She completed The Celebration Tour last year and will release Veronica Electronica, a remix album of songs from her 1998 record Ray of Light, on July 25. Pfeiffer has had a stellar career with roles including Elvira Hancock in Scarface (1983), starring alongside Al Pacino, plus playing Catwoman in Batman Returns (1992) and LouAnne Johnson in Dangerous Minds (1995). While she's taken career breaks over the years, she's kept in the public eye, with roles including Janet van Dyne in Marvel's Ant-Man (2015) and its sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018). More recently, she has been announced to star alongside Nicole Kidman in the upcoming Apple TV+ series Margot's Got Money Troubles. Her hands and footprints were memorialised in cement at the TCL Chinese Theatre on April 25 in honour of her work. The skilled musician kept us hooked with his incredible songwriting skills, androgynous looks and unmistakable falsetto. The prolific musician produced 39 albums and delivered anthems including Purple Rain, Little Red Corvette and Raspberry Beret, to name a few. He famously changed his stage name to a symbol in the 1990s. Passing in 2016, you can visit his estate, Paisley Park, just out of Minneapolis and walk through where he recorded some of his music, plus see selected instruments, awards and clothes. Sweetie, darling, the comedian Jennifer Saunders has made us laugh with a slew of shows and films. She was one half of the sketch show French and Saunders alongside Dawn French, and kept us giggling as Edina Monsoon in the hit series Absolutely Fabulous, which spawned a feature film. She'll be making a guest appearance on the upcoming Netflix series Too Much. Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. They've lit up our screens and stereos during times when music was bought on vinyl and films were rented at a video store. Several stars who have shaped popular culture were born in 1958, including Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince and Jamie Lee Curtis. What was it about that particular year that brought so much talent? We've selected nine who have left an impact, but know there are many more. If there's anyone from that year who you think deserves a mention, drop their name in the comments below. Read more in The Senior The filmmaker and producer has produced several films that have made us laugh, wince and be in suspense. He came to prominence with Beetlejuice (1988) and Edward Scissorhands (1990) and captured our imaginations with Mars Attacks! (1996) and Planet of the Apes (2001), among others. Musicals also took a twist in his productions of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007). More recently, he's directed several episodes of the Netflix series Wednesday and directed Beetlejuice Beetlejuice in 2024. Showing that girls can rock, Carlisle co-founded The Go-Gos, who had hits including Our Lips Are Sealed, and then went on to have a successful solo career with hits including Heaven Is a Place on Earth, I Get Weak, Leave a Light On and Summer Rain. She toured Australia in 2024 and is preparing to release her new album Once Upon a Time in California this year. The American actor and film producer has moved us for decades in a plethora of movies and TV shows. His long list of credits includes Beetlejuice (1988), The Cooler (2003), Along Came Polly (2004) and two Mission: Impossible Films, plus a highly successful run on the series 30 Rock. Today he's starring in The Baldwins, a behind-the-scenes TV show of his family's life with wife Hilaria and their seven children, which can be streamed on Binge. Author, actor and producer Jamie Lee Curtis has proven her versatility as a performer, skipping across genres from horror to comedy and more. She's scared us out of our wits in films including Halloween (1978) and Blue Steel (1990). On the funnier side, she made us laugh in A Fish Called Wanda (1988) and won a Golden Globe for Best Actress for portraying Helen Tasker in the comedy action film True Lies (1994). Today, she's gearing up for a sequel to Freaky Friday, which she starred in alongside Lindsay Lohan in 2003. Freakier Friday will be released in Australian cinemas on August 7, 2025. The King of Pop charmed us as a talented kid as part of the Jackson 5, before becoming a successful artist in his own right. Among his hit albums were Off The Wall, Thriller, Bad and Dangerous, and his infamous moonwalk during a performance of Billie Jean became legendary. His music took a socially conscious turn in the 1990s with songs including Black or White and Earth Song in the 1990s. Passing in 2009, his memory lives on with MJ The Musical, which centres around the making of his 1992 Dangerous World Tour. It's showing at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in August and will move to Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne in September. The Material Girl has had us vogueing, wearing numerous bracelets and dancing since 1983 when her first big hit, Holiday, broke into the charts. Among her biggest albums have been Like a Virgin, Like a Prayer, Ray of Light and Confessions on a Dancefloor, plus she's starred in movies including A League of Their Own (1992) and Desperately Seeking Susan (1985). She completed The Celebration Tour last year and will release Veronica Electronica, a remix album of songs from her 1998 record Ray of Light, on July 25. Pfeiffer has had a stellar career with roles including Elvira Hancock in Scarface (1983), starring alongside Al Pacino, plus playing Catwoman in Batman Returns (1992) and LouAnne Johnson in Dangerous Minds (1995). While she's taken career breaks over the years, she's kept in the public eye, with roles including Janet van Dyne in Marvel's Ant-Man (2015) and its sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018). More recently, she has been announced to star alongside Nicole Kidman in the upcoming Apple TV+ series Margot's Got Money Troubles. Her hands and footprints were memorialised in cement at the TCL Chinese Theatre on April 25 in honour of her work. The skilled musician kept us hooked with his incredible songwriting skills, androgynous looks and unmistakable falsetto. The prolific musician produced 39 albums and delivered anthems including Purple Rain, Little Red Corvette and Raspberry Beret, to name a few. He famously changed his stage name to a symbol in the 1990s. Passing in 2016, you can visit his estate, Paisley Park, just out of Minneapolis and walk through where he recorded some of his music, plus see selected instruments, awards and clothes. Sweetie, darling, the comedian Jennifer Saunders has made us laugh with a slew of shows and films. She was one half of the sketch show French and Saunders alongside Dawn French, and kept us giggling as Edina Monsoon in the hit series Absolutely Fabulous, which spawned a feature film. She'll be making a guest appearance on the upcoming Netflix series Too Much. Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.
